


Standing In Your Heart

by amine



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Alternate Universe, Cardverse, Light Angst, M/M, Requited Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-21
Updated: 2017-09-21
Packaged: 2019-01-01 04:45:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 772
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12148899
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/amine/pseuds/amine
Summary: "Arthur had gone from spending the afternoons with his friend to having his magical training increased tenfold. Warlocks would be needed to ensure that Spades maintained the upper hand in the war, and the Kirkland family had a long tradition of powerful magic. Arthur hadn’t complained and had instead thrown himself into his studies so as to be an asset to the new king. His love for the kingdom of his birth demanded it.More than that, his love forAlfreddemanded it."





	Standing In Your Heart

The unexpected death of Alfred’s father had thrown the Spades kingdom into a state of chaos, with the coronation of Alfred as king hurried along before the Clubs kingdom could use the temporary power vacuum to launch an offensive strike.

Arthur had gone from spending the afternoons with his friend to having his magical training increased tenfold. Warlocks would be needed to ensure that Spades maintained the upper hand in the war, and the Kirkland family had a long tradition of powerful magic. Arthur hadn’t complained and had instead thrown himself into his studies so as to be an asset to the new king. His love for the kingdom of his birth demanded it.

More than that, his love for _Alfred_ demanded it.

To be approached by Alfred in the midst of his studies one day was entirely unexpected, but he no longer had any right to scoff and tell Alfred to leave him and come back later when he wasn’t in the middle of studying.

“I have a proposition for you, Arthur.” The weight of his sudden ascent to the throne had obviously worn down on him, and his soft, youthful features seemed to have hardened in the weeks since his father died.

Arthur abandoned his books and stood to bow respectfully. “Go ahead.”

Alfred gently pushed Arthur into an upright position and clasped both his shoulders. “Marry me.”

Arthur’s heart simultaneously leaped in his chest and turned to ice. He stared in silence into Alfred’s eyes until he could stammer out a reply. “Wh-What?”

“I need a queen. Who better than a warlock from the most powerful magical family in the kingdom?”

Ah, so that was it. Arthur’s heart sank. He’d been deeply in love with Alfred since they were children, but that love had always been unrequited. Naturally, the only reason Alfred would ever want to marry him was for political gain.

Arthur quickly turned away and brushed off Alfred’s hands. “No, I refuse.”

“Why not? There’s nothing to lose here!”

_Nothing except any chance I have at happiness_ , Arthur thought. He nearly trembled with the effort to not simply agree out of simultaneous duty to his king and deep love for his beloved friend.

He steeled himself enough to turn to face Alfred once more. “You must have better prospects, Alfred. There are a multitude of families in this kingdom that would be honored to lend you their strength and power.”

Alfred frowned and shook his head. “We’re in the middle of a war, and I wasn’t ready to be king! I’m still not! The people are going to see my weakness and lose faith, and then we’ll lose the war! If I have a powerful queen at my side, it will boost morale and give us the edge we need! Why are you giving me such a hard time about this?”

“I understand what you are saying. I understand the benefit to the Spades kingdom, but I won’t…” He paused. His chest hurt. To have something he’d wanted desperately dangled in front of him, but not in the way he wanted was too much. He wouldn’t torture himself like that. He took a shuddering breath. “I won’t marry someone who doesn’t love me. You’d be better off asking one of my brothers instead.”

He turned to leave, to find a place to be alone for a while to gather his thoughts. Then he’d go back to his studies. He’d go back to being a faithful servant of the king, even if it would cause him immeasurable heartache.

“Who says I don’t love you?”

Arthur froze and stared at the ground unblinking until his eyes burned. He must have heard incorrectly. He must have been dreaming.

Instead, Alfred stepped in front of him again and pushed him upright once more. He clasped Arthur’s shoulders again and looked him right in the eyes, his face imploring. “Please be my queen, Arthur. I can’t…I can’t get through this without you. I can’t do it unless it’s you. Please…”

Alfred was the one to lower his head then, and he stepped forward to let his head drop against Arthur’s shoulder.

As they were growing up, they both had cried over ridiculous things that they could now look back on and laugh. Even so, Alfred had always seemed so strong. He wondered if Alfred had had moments of weakness before, and he just hadn’t seen them?

He gently ran his hands through Alfred’s hair, pushing up his face enough to kiss away his tears and kiss his lips and whisper promises to be strong for him.

Not just as his queen.

**Author's Note:**

> I was so, _so_ tempted to tie this into the [other cardverse fic](http://archiveofourown.org/works/8599333) I wrote, since I had imagined similar circumstances leading to their marriage in that fic. Perhaps this can be considered an AU of that AU where Alfred actually loves Arthur back lol.


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